In a conventional "handler", as described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 10-113580, a large number of IC carriers each accommodating the IC package are mounted on a test tray so that the test tray is conveyed with the IC carriers.
Although not described in the above mentioned publication, a large number of handler sockets are arranged in predetermined positions on the circuit substrate associated with an IC tester.
After positioning of the IC carriers conveyed by the test tray to the handler sockets, respectively, the IC packages accommodated in the IC carriers are pressed downward by a contact pressure element so that terminals of the IC packages are pressed against the handler sockets so that the IC packages are electrically conducted to the circuit substrate through the corresponding handler sockets.
Each of the handler sockets comprises a socket body and a large number of contact pins disposed thereto. Each of the contact pins is adapted to contact with each of the terminals of the IC package and the circuit substrate, thereby electrically connecting the IC package and the circuit substrate.
With the electrical connection between the circuit substrate of the IC tester and each IC package, a test of each IC package is carried out by the IC tester and, on the basis of the tested result, each IC package is sorted into non-defective and defective ones.
In such a conventional handler, however, the handler sockets must be positioned to both of the IC carriers and the circuit substrate, respectively. In addition, it is necessary to determine a number of the contact pins and pitches therebetween to correspond to the terminals of the IC package.
Therefore, in a case where the positioning portions of the IC carriers or those of the circuit substrate change, or where the number of terminals of the IC package and the pitches therebetween change, to replace all of the handler sockets must be required, resulting in higher costs of the handler.
It is therefore the object of the present invention, even in the case where the positioning portions of the IC carriers or those of the circuit substrate change, or where the number of terminals of the IC package and the pitches therebetween change, to provide a handler socket capable of achieving a partial sharing or common use of its elements.